James Gurney

This daily weblog by Dinotopia creator James Gurney is for illustrators, plein-air painters, sketchers, comic artists, animators, art students, and writers. You'll find practical studio tips, insights into the making of the Dinotopia books, and first-hand reports from art schools and museums.

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It's interesting how words about drawing tend in English to associate with the pejorative: "He's a sketchy character." "It's not finished yet; it's only a draft." "There's a chilly draft coming from the window." "You want that in a bottle or on draft?"

Time for the creator of Dinotopia, with the assistance of his blogfellows to coin a new word! Add to your legacy...

I think Draftsman would have been the correct word if people like architects hadn't taken it as their own already.If I told someone I was a draftsman, they'd start thinking blue paper and numbers and metal compasses.

"Desenhador" or "Desenhista", where "desenho" is the word for "drawing".

Strangley enough, though, both words sound kinda weird, in the sense that if you say you are a "pintor" (painter) everyone understands what you mean, but if you say you are a "desenhador" most people look at you funny... like you are some sort of poor relation, or as if they are wondering what on earth you actually do.

Crayologist. Delineator. Depictor. Descibbler. Draftinista. Drawmatist. Drawrite. Formalator. Limnalist. Linemaker. Leaderer or Leadwrite. Mapster. Marker. Pencilator. Sketchinographor. Sketchaholic. Tracewrite. Old English was dragan, for one who drags, so how about Drawgan or Drawganer… or Drawnatopier! -RQ

Hmm... That's a hard one, one that's plagued me a bit in my time. I've started going with "Draughtsman", but as a woman I find it hard to refer to myself that way. "Draughtswoman" is a bit rediculous. I could call myself drawdiddler (which I find hilarious), but then I might not be taken seriously.